WO2008006386A2

WO2008006386A2 - Trading platform for standardized products

Info

Publication number: WO2008006386A2
Application number: PCT/EP2006/006779
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen LANKAT
Original assignee: Gimahhot Gmbh
Priority date: 2006-07-11
Filing date: 2006-07-11
Publication date: 2008-01-17

Description

Trading Platform for Standardized Products

Description

The invention relates to a method of receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user and receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters and generating a result data set (x, p, s). Furthermore the invention relates to a system with an input device for receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user and for receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters, with at least one database and with a processing device generating a result data set (x, p, s).

These methods and systems are applicable for example for an automatic management of order matching on trading platforms. There is an increasing need for methods and systems which provide means for effective trading transactions. _ _

Electronic trading platforms are known for example for users who want to place an offer for securities, stocks and bonds. However, conventional order matching technology is not easily adaptable from one market to another, or for application to goods and services with differing attributes but is specifically configured for the attributes of a particular market.

US-A-2004/0006497 discloses an electronic ticket exchange system which enables venue owners to sell a limited number of tickets to patrons at a fair market value for each event, and patrons to more easily trade and transfer the tickets among one another after they have been purchased from the venue owner. In accordance with the electronic ticket exchange system tickets for an event are initially offered to the public, typically by the venue owner, using a market- making system. In this system, patrons submit bids over a limited time period, for seats of different quality. Once the limited bidding period expires, an initial price is established for each quality of seat, on the basis of the submitted bids and an econometric model that takes into account certain constraints and other factors. The tickets are then sold to the public at that price.

DE-A-100 43 442 provides an electronic trading platform where a user sends in a description of an advertisement he wants to be placed. A system according to the invention searches already existing advertisements which combine to the user's description and generates an advertisement on the base of the user's description.

In DE-A-100 17 235 there is disclosed a method for automatically handling a transaction in securities trading comprising the steps of ~~ O ~~

recording an offer of a first user and a bid of a second user, checking the acceptance and eventually performing a trading transaction corresponding to the bid and the offer.

The known matching technology as discussed above fails to provide for reliable and effective information exchange between different users on a trading platform for products and services which are accessible to some kind of standardization.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other deficiencies in conventional order matching and market making technologies by providing a method and a system by which data sets of different users are transmitted as signals to the system and processed in a simple and safe way to generate a result data set according to a unique allocation wherein the result data set is transmitted as a signal standing for a binding transaction to the users who are involved in the transaction. Simple and safe means providing a technique of allocating the data sets of different users based on a simple data check which results in definite allocation instructions.

The present invention provides a method of receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user and receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters and generating a result data set (x, p, s) comprising the steps of:

Receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and assigning a time stamp (ts(b)) to the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and storing the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) in a database with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(b));

Receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) and assigning a time stamp (ts(o)) to the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) and storing the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) in the database with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(o));

Retrieving at least one of the data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) stored in the database according to the priority of their time stamps (ts(b)) and retrieving at least one of the data sets (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) stored in the database according to the priority of their time stamps (ts(o));

Allocating the retrieved data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) if (x(b)) is identical to (x(o)) and (p(b)) is higher or equal to (p(o));

Generating a result data set (x, p, s) associated to the allocated data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) wherein x is identical to x(b) and x(o), p is equal to max p(b) if ts(b) is prior to ts(o) and p is equal to min p(o) otherwise and s is equal to the minimum of s(b) and s(o).

Receiving according to the present invention means receiving by means of a data upload, a crontab, a user's mouse click etc.

By the method according to the invention data sets of different users are transmitted as signals and processed in a simple and safe way to generate a result data set according to a unique allocation wherein the result data set is transmitted as a signal standing for a binding transaction to the users who are involved in the transaction. _ _

This way a technology is provided which ensures a unique matching (x, p, s) of data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) which may represent orders, i.e. bids and offers on a market place. The matching is based on a simple data check which results in definite allocation instructions. Furthermore the matching reflects a realistic market scenario because basic conditions like the interest of two users, i.e. a buyer and a seller, as trading partners in the same product x, existence of a price p which is in the acceptable range for both trading partners and trading of a product in an avail- able amount s are fulfilled. The uniqueness of the matching is accomplished via the assignment of a time stamp to each order choosing the maximum max p(b) of the bids b for the product x, choosing the minimum min o(b) of the offers o of the product x and giving priority to the earlier time stamp of max p(b) and min o(b) when deter- mining a trading price. Bids b for the product x at the same price are given priority according to the earlier time stamp. Analogously, offers o for the product x at the same price are given priority according to the earlier time stamp.

A method according to the invention generating a result data set always is to understand in a way as to generate a result data set if a matching is possible and to leave out the step of generating a result data set if no matching is possible.

In order to provide a simple and safe way of order matching the steps of the method according to the invention are reiterated, particularly with databases which are updated in regular time intervals and/or when a new data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) or (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) is received.

In a preferred embodiment the result data set (x, p, s) associated to - -

the allocated data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) is sent via a broadcasting device to the first user being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and the second user being the sender of the originating data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)). This way an immediately available information is provided for both partners of a trade. When attaching the information to an email for example every user, i.e. partner of the trade, holds a certificate in hand documenting the validity of the trade transaction.

In a further preferred embodiment the data sets are received and sent via an open network platform, preferably an internet platform. This enables users of an internet terminal to transact effectual trades from places all over the world.

Another preferred embodiment provides a display of all data sets

(b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) assigned to one object x wherein x is identical to x(b) and x(o) on a window being accessible through an internet link. This way a user can get all relevant trading information on a product in a user-friendly format when clicking on the internet link. The information is continuously updated.

It is also possible to send relevant trading information according to a personalized profile to a user via regular emails.

In order to improve a clear arrangement of information in the window according to a further embodiment the data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) are listed according to p(b) in a descending order and/or the data sets (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) are listed according to p(o) in an ascending or- der.

In another preferred embodiment the window is updated in regular _ _

time intervals by deleting or amending the data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) after they have been allocated. This is of high importance because the users of the trading platform have to be informed as soon as possible when an order has changed be- cause the underlying product will not be requested or offered then under the same conditions as before.

According to another embodiment data sets (bi, x(b)ι, p(b)i, s(b)i) with identical p(b)i are accumulated in a way to list them as (b, x(b), X P(b)i, s(b)) in the window in order to improve a clear arrangement of information.

Analogously data sets (oi, x(o)i, p(o)i, s(o)i) with identical p(o)i are preferably accumulated in a way to list them as (o, x(o), ∑ p(o)i, s(o)) in the window in order to improve a clear arrangement of information.

In another favoured embodiment each data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) or (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) is displayed longest until a given time limit. This additionally ensures that no offer is displayed which is not active any more. When the time limit is reached a message may be generated to the corresponding user inviting him to renew his offer if the offer is still meant to be active. A data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) or (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) is not displayed any more when it has been traded or changed or deleted by a user.

According to another preferred embodiment an error message is sent via a display device to the first user being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b)i , s(b)i) and/or to another user being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b)2, s(b)2) if (ts(b)i) is equal to (ts(b)2). The error messages may be repressed if - -

P(ID)₁ is different to p(b)₂. Correspondingly an error message is sent via a display device to the first user being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o)i, s(o)i) and/or to another user being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o)2, s(o)2) if (ts(o)i) is equal to (ts(o)2). The error messages maybe repressed if p(o)i is different to p(o)₂. In this case the data sets are not stored because they would cause a system crash at this moment when data sets (b, x(b), p(b)i, s(b)i) and (o, x(o), p(o)i, s(o)ι) cannot be allocated in a unique way. But by generating and sending an error message the users get a chance to repeat their offer with a new time stamp which may not conflict with another time stamp.

According to another preferred embodiment error messages are sent via a display device to the first user being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) if x(b) is identical to x(o) and ts(b) is equal to ts(o). The error message maybe repressed if p(b) is equal to p(o).

The present invention further provides a system with an input device for receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user and for receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters, with at least one database and with a processing device gen- erating a result data set

(x, p, s) wherein:

The input device comprises a time recorder for assigning a time stamp (ts(b)) to the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and for assigning a time stamp (ts(o)) to the at least one data set (o, x(o),

P(O), S(O)); _

the at least one database being designed to store the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(b)) and to store the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(o));

the processing device being designed to retrieve data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and data sets (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) to allocate the retrieved data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) and to generate a result data set (x, p, s) associated to the allocated data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)).

A processing device according to the invention generating a result data set is to understand in a way as to generate a result data set of a matching is possible and to leave out this steps if no matching is possible.

In a preferred embodiment the system comprises a broadcasting device for sending messages to the first user being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user being the sender of the originating data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)).

In a further preferred embodiment the system comprises interfaces to an open network platform, preferably an internet platform for re- ceiving and/or sending and/or displaying messages to the first user being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user being the sender of the originating data set (o,

X(O), P(O), S(O)).

In another embodiment the system comprises at least one display device for displaying all data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) assigned to one object x wherein x is identical to x(b) and - -

x(o) on a window being accessible through an internet link.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, without restricting the general inventive idea, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings to which we refer for all details not expressly explained in the text, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a trading window on an internet page, e.g. a homepage,

Fig. 2 illustrates an example of allocating two retrieved data sets and generating a result data set,

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a trading window on a homepage. The trading window comprises a field 1 below an empty field 2 to be filled with an individual html code. A user can reach the trading window via a search function in a field 3 or by clicking on a product name link. Those product name links are for example given on the right side in a field 4, where statistics for certain products are shown, or they are given in lists which are displayed either by clicking on a last level sub- category or which are displayed as a result of a specific search.

All information shown in the trading window is retrieved from a database Products and a database Orders.

The information in field 1 is updated every minute. Other time intervals for a regular update are possible as well. _ _

The trading window is split into two parts. There is an informational part, which shows bids 5 and offers 6 in a product and displays information on the product like for example the product name, ship- ping costs, last percentage change and sales in a field 7.

In field 1 there is provided a place-maker 8 for a jpeg. In figure 1 the box is blank, i.e. only contains Y^*. Only if a column "jpeg-ID" in the database Products contains a number there a picture will be dis- played. The picture data is retrieved come from another separate database and not from the database Products in order not to lose process speed. If a button 19 ("don't show pictures") is pressed, no jpeg will be shown anyway.

The bids 5 are sorted in a descending order. The bids 5 are found in the database Orders. All orders, i.e. all sets of data, concerning the product with a corresponding "product-ID" are searched. Then all orders, i.e. all sets of data with "1 " in a field "buy" (not shown) are selected. Now, the sizes associated to the found products are cop- ied into a column 9 ("Size") and the limits ("Price") associated to the found products are copied into a column 10, respectively. The found sets of data are sorted by their limit ("Price") in a descending order. If there is more than one set of data with the same limit, those sets are accumulated in a way that the sum of the sizes is shown in col- umn 9.

The offers 6 are sorted in an ascending order. The offers are found in the database Orders. All orders, i.e. all sets of data concerning the product with a corresponding "product-ID" are searched. Then all orders, i.e. all sets of data, with "1 " in a field "sell" (not shown) are selected. Now, the sizes associated to the found products are copied into a column 11 ("Size") and the limits ("Price") associated - -

to the found products are copied into a column 12, respectively. The found sets of data are sorted by their limit ("Price") in an ascending order. If there is more than one set of data with the same limit, those sets are accumulated in a way that the sum of the sizes is shown in column 1 1. It is also possible to provide a shopping card where orders can be buffered.

It is possible to enter the fields buy limit 13 ("Buy") or sell limit 14 ("Sell").

Right above the informational part of the trading window there is a link 15 ("add to favorites") and above that, there is an order line 17.

A user can enter a limit, i.e. a price, at which he wants to trade, e.g. buy, a product and a size, i.e. a number of pieces, he wants to trade from this product. Both fields have to be filled out.

As mentioned above by entering the fields buy limit 13 ("Buy") or sell limit 14 ("Sell") information is provided specifying whether a user wants to buy or to sell at the entered limit.

For trading the user has to be logged in and his status in a database Clients has to be "1 ". This means a user is signed in and also is allowed to trade. When meeting his obligation to pay a certain fee a user is allowed to trade.

There is a consistency check provided and if the status of a user is not "1 " in the database Clients or if the entries are not correct an informational error text will be displayed in field 2.

The error text is retrieved from a database Texts. - -

All good orders, i.e. all entries which have been checked and are correct, are valid 99 days longest for example if no trading takes place earlier. The validity is a variable and retrieved from a database Variables.

If no trading takes place all orders, i.e. all bids and offers, are copied into the database Orders.

As soon as a deadline of validity is reached, the corresponding or- der will be cancelled and a message is sent to the author of the corresponding order notifying him that his order is not valid anymore.

This message is generated as an email for example. The author's email address is derived from the database Clients.

The product name mentioned in the message is retrieved from the database Orders.

The email contains a link. By clicking onto the link, a user will be directed to the login page and then after a successful login will be directed to the trading window of said product. This way, a user can place his order again if he wants to.

In the following example several users are logged in and their status is "1 " in the database Clients.

If two or more orders in the same product are sent to a server at the same time, these orders are not accepted and the authors receive an error message and are invited to repeat their order.

According to a preferred embodiment only one order is accepted and all other authors of orders get error messages. The error mes- - -

sages are retrieved from the database Texts.

It is of great importance to process only one order at a time and provisions are to be made in order to avoid the trade of one product in two transactions at the same time.

A process comprising the following steps 1 to 8 is performed for each order before a next order is processed. The orders are checked in a sequence according to their arrival time at the server. As soon as the steps 1 to 8 for an order are completed processing of a next order is started.

If a user wants to cancel or change an already accepted order while new orders are in progress the cancellation or change is not ac- cepted because the accepted order may already be involved in a transaction. Instead, an error message will be displayed to the user.

When a user enters the field buy limit 13 ("Buy"), there are different scenarios:

Case 1 :

The limit which the user enters is as high as the limit of the best offer in the trading window and the size which the user enters is lower than the size of the best offer.

In that case the user, i.e. the buyer, buys the product immediately.

Step 1 Check whether the user is logged in.

If the user is not logged in, the user will be directed to the login page first. If the user does not log in, no trade takes place. If the user logs in successfully, Step 2 follows.

Step 2 The status of the user in the database Clients is checked.

If the status is "0", the order will not be accepted and an informational text is displayed in field 2 instead. If the status is "1 ", the entries of the user will be checked. If the entries are correct, the order will be accepted, continuation with Step 3.

Step 3

The data of the transaction, comprising the data of the user's bid and the data of the best offer, are transferred into a database Transactions.

One set of data with a specific "transaction-ID" is created for each user, who is involved, i.e. at least one buyer and at least one seller. A "user-ID" of each involved user is stored.

Step 4

The entries of the orders involved in the transaction are updated in the database Orders correspondingly.

Step 5 A confirmation message is sent to the user, i.e. the buyer.

An offer, as soon as it is traded, disappears from the trading window.

Step 6 Relevant data of the transaction is copied into a database Debit files and Transfer files, respectively. — I D —

The database Transfer files contains relevant data for a money transfer which will follow the transaction.

Step 7 Invoices for the at least one buyer and the at least one seller are created.

Step 8

The invoices are attached to emails which are generated and sent automatically to the at least one buyer and the at least one seller. A copy of every generated email is sent to an admin.

Case 2:

The limit which the user enters is higher than the limit of the best offer in the trading window and the size which the user enters is lower than the size of the best offer.

In that case the user, i.e. the buyer, buys the product immediately and steps 1 to 8 as listed above will be performed in the same way.

The transaction limit, i.e. the price at which the transaction is effected, will be the same as in Case 1 , although the buyer entered a higher limit. But as the product was offered at a lower limit before, corresponding to an offer with an earlier time stamp, the transaction is effected at the limit with the earlier time stamp.

Case 3:

The limit which the user enters is lower than the limit of the best offer in the trading window. In that case no transaction takes place. After Step 1 and 2 the order of the user is copied into the database Orders and the new data set will be displayed in the trading window in field 1 on the left side according to its limit rank in the descending order of the bids.

An informational text is displayed which confirms the order. But no email is sent to the user.

If there is another bid in the database Orders with the same "prod- uct-ID" and with the same limit the two data sets are accumulated in a way that the sizes of the bids are added up.

Case 4:

The limit which the user enters is higher than the limit of the best offer and higher than the limit of the second best offer in the trading window and the size which the user enters is higher than the sizes of the best offer and the second best offer together.

In that case the user, i.e. the buyer, buys the offered size of products of the best offer at the limit of the best offer and he buys the offered size of products of the second best offer at the limit of the second best offer immediately.

The user's bid is updated as follows: The balance, i.e. the difference of the sum of the offers' sizes and the bid's size and the bid's limit are copied into the database Orders as best bid.

The above mentioned scenarios apply to buyers and to sellers analogously because of the symmetric characteristics of the trading window with respect to bids and offers. Fig. 2 illustrates an example of allocating two retrieved data sets and generating a result data set. The retrieved data sets are (bid, watch, 30 €, 4; 06.05.2006, 20:45:10) = (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (bid, watch, 20 €, 5; 06.05.2006, 23:01 :10) = (o, x(o), P(O), s(o); ts(o)).

The data set (bid, watch, 25€, 6; 06.05.2006, 18:15:00) is not retrieved because max p(b) = 30€ which belongs to (bid, watch, 30€, 4; 06.05.2006, 20:45:10) and not to (bid, watch, 25€, 6; 06.05.2006, 18:15:00).

There hold the following relations: Watch = x(b) = x(o) and p(b) = 30 € > 20 € = p(o), wherein watch means a certain type of watch, e.g. a certain watch model.

The required preconditions according to the invention are fulfilled therefore and a result data set associated to the allocated data sets (bid, watch, 30 €, 4; 06.05.2006, 20:45:10) and

(bid, watch, 20 €, 5; 06.05.2006, 23:01 :10) is generated as follows:

(watch, 30 €, 4) = (x, p, s) wherein watch = x is identical to px(b) and x(o),

30 € = p is equal to p(b), as the time stamp 06.05.2006, 20:45:10 = ts(b) is prior to 06.05.2006, 23:01 :10 = ts(o), and

4 = s is equal to the minimum of 5 = s(b) and 4 = s(o).

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system according to the invention. The system comprises an input device 20 for receiving data sets from users 100, 101 , 200, 201 wherein the input device 20 comprises a time recorder 25 for assigning a time stamp to each received data set. The input device 20 may comprise a receiving — i y —

device 22 for maintaining user accounts with personalized profiles which are sent to a user by means of a push job or can be recalled by a user. The personalized profiles may also include statistical information concerning a certain product. The data sets are stored in a database 30 and/or transmitted to a processing device 40. The processing device 40 may allocate data sets from the users 100,

200 and generate a result data set. In this case a corresponding message is sent to the users 100, 200 via a broadcasting device 50. The time recorder 25 may assign identical time stamps to data sets received from the users 100, 101 or the users 200, 201. In this case an error message is sent to the users 100, 101 or the users 200,

201 via a display device 60.

Claims

- -Trading Platform for Standardized ProductsClaims

1. Method of receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user (100) and receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user (200) wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters and generating a result data set (x, p, s) comprising the steps of:

Receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and assigning a time stamp (ts(b)) to the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and storing the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) in a database (30) with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(b));

Receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) and assigning a time stamp (ts(o)) to the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) and storing the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) in the database (30) with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(o)); - -

Retrieving at least one of the data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) stored in the database (30) according to the priority of their time stamps (ts(b)) and retrieving at least one of the data sets (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) stored in the database (30) according to the priority of their time stamps (ts(o));

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the result data set

(x, p, s) associated to the allocated data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) is sent via a broadcasting device (50) to the first user (100) being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and the second user (200) being the sender of the originating data set (o, x(o), p(o),

S(O)).

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the data sets are received and sent via an open network platform, preferably an internet platform.

4. A method according to claim 1 to 3 wherein all data sets

(b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) assigned to one object x wherein x is identical to x(b) and x(o) are displayed on a _ -

window being accessible through an internet link.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the data sets

(b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) are listed according to p(b) in a descending order.

6. A method according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the data sets

(o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) are listed according to p(o) in an ascending order.

7. A method according to claims 4 to 6 wherein the window is updated in regular time intervals by deleting or amending the data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) after they have been allocated.

8. A method according to claims 4 to 7 wherein data sets

(bi, x(b)i, p(b)i, s(b)i) with identical p(b)ι are accumulated in a way to list them as (b, x(b), ∑ p(b)i, s(b)).

9. A method according to claim 4 to 8 wherein data sets

(θi, x(o)i, p(o)i, s(o)i) with identical p(o)i are accumulated in a way to list them as (o, x(o), ∑ p(o)i, s(o)).

10. A method according to claims 4 to 9 wherein each data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) or (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) is displayed longest until a given time limit.

1 1. A method according to one of the preceding claims wherein an error message is sent via a display device (60) to the first user (100) being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b)i , s(b)i) and/or to another user (101 ) being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b)2, s(b)2) if (ts(b)i) is equal to (ts(b)2).

12. A method according to one of the preceding claims wherein an error message is sent via a display device (60) to the second user (200) being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o)i, s(o)i) and/or to another user (201 ) being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o)2, s(o)2) if (ts(o)i) is equal to (ts(o)2).

13. A method according to one of the preceding claims wherein an error message is sent via a display device (60) to the first user (100) being the sender of an originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user (200) being the sender of an originating data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) if x(b) is identical to x(o) and ts(b) is equal to ts(o).

14. System with an input device (20) for receiving at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) from a first user (100) and for receiving at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) from a second user (200) wherein p(b), s(b), p(o), s(o) are numerical parameters, with at least one database (30) and with a processing device (40) generating a result data set (x, p, s) wherein:

The input device (20) comprises a time recorder (25) for as- signing a time stamp (ts(b)) to the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and for assigning a time stamp (ts(o)) to the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o));

the at least one database (30) being designed to store the at least one data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) with a priority according to its time stamp (ts(b)) and to store the at least one data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) with a priority according to its _ -

time stamp (ts(o));

the processing device (40) being designed to retrieve data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and data sets (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) to allocate the retrieved data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)) and to generate a result data set (x, p, s) associated to the allocated data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b); ts(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o); ts(o)).

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein the system comprises a broadcasting device (50) for sending messages to the first user (100) being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user (200) being the sender of the originating data set (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)).

16. A system according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the system comprises interfaces to an open network platform, preferably an internet platform for receiving and/or sending and/or displaying messages to the first user (100, 101 ) being the sender of the originating data set (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and to the second user

(200, 201 ) being the sender of the originating data set (o, x(o),

P(O)₁ S(O)).

17. A system according to one of the claims 14 to 16 wherein the system comprises at least one display device (60) for displaying all data sets (b, x(b), p(b), s(b)) and (o, x(o), p(o), s(o)) assigned to one object x wherein x is identical to x(b) and x(o) on a window being accessible through an internet link.